Tom Swift in the Land of Wonders by Victor Appleton

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1 TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR CYCLE2 TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR BOAT3 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIRSHIP4 TOM SWIFT AND HIS SUBMARINE BOAT5 TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RUNABOUT6 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIRELESS MESSAGE7 TOM SWIFT AMONG THE DIAMOND MAKERS8 TOM SWIFT IN THE CAVES OF ICE9 TOM SWIFT AND HIS SKY RACER10 TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RIFLE11 TOM SWIFT IN THE CITY OF GOLD12 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER13 TOM SWIFT IN CAPTIVITY14 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA15 TOM SWIFT AND HIS GREAT SEARCHLIGHT16 TOM SWIFT AND HIS GIANT CANNON17 TOM SWIFT AND HIS PHOTO TELEPHONE18 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP19 TOM SWIFT AND HIS BIG TUNNEL20 TOM SWIFT IN THE LAND OF WONDERS21 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WAR TANK22 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR SCOUT23 TOM SWIFT AND HIS UNDERSEA SEARCH24 TOM SWIFT AMONG THE FIRE FIGHTERS25 TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE26 TOM SWIFT AND HIS FLYING BOAT27 TOM SWIFT AND HIS GREAT OIL GUSHER28 TOM SWIFT AND HIS CHEST OF SECRETS29 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIRLINE EXPRESS***

Tom Swift in the Land of Wonders

CONTENTS

I A WONDERFUL STORYII PROFESSOR BUMPER ARRIVESIII BLESSINGS AND ENTHUSIASMIV FENIMORE BEECHERV THE LITTLE GREEN GODVI UNPLEASANT NEWSVII TOM HEARS SOMETHINGVIII OFF FOR HONDURASIX VAL JACINTOX IN THE WILDSXI THE VAMPIRESXII A FALSE FRIENDXIII FORWARD AGAINXIV A NEW GUIDEXV IN THE COILSXVI A MEETING IN THE JUNGLEXVII THE LOST MAPXVIII "EL TIGRE!"XIX POISONED ARROWSXX AN OLD LEGENDXXI THE CAVERNXXII THE STORMXXIII ENTOMBED ALIVEXXIV THE REVOLVING STONEXXV THE IDOL OF GOLD

TOM SWIFT IN THE LAND OF WONDERS

CHAPTER I

A WONDERFUL STORY

Tom Swift, who had been slowly lookingthrough the pages of a magazine, in the contentsof which he seemed to be deeply interested,turned the final folio, ruffled the sheets backagain to look at a certain map and drawing, andthen, slapping the book down on a table beforehim, with a noise not unlike that of a shot,exclaimed:

"Well, that is certainly one wonderful story!"

"What's it about, Tom?" asked his chum, NedNewton. "Something about inside baseball, or anew submarine that can be converted into anairship on short notice?"

"Neither one, you--you unscientific heathen,"answered Tom, with a laugh at Ned. "Thoughthat isn't saying such a machine couldn't be invented."

"I believe you--that is if you got on its trail,"returned Ned, and there was warm admiration inhis voice.

"As for inside baseball, or outside, for thatmatter, I hardly believe I'd be able to tell thirdbase from the second base, it's so long since Iwent to a game," proceeded Tom. "I've beentoo busy on that new airship stabilizer dad gaveme an idea for. I've been working too hard,that's a fact. I need a vacation, and maybe agood baseball game----"

He stopped and looked at the magazine he hadso hastily slapped down. Something he had readin it seemed to fascinate him.

"I wonder if it can possibly be true," he wenton. "It sounds like the wildest dream of aprofessional sleep-walker; and yet, when I stop tothink, it isn't much worse than some of thethings we've gone through with, Ned."

"Say, for the love of rice-pudding! will youget down to brass tacks and strike a trialbalance? What are you talking of, anyhow? Is ita joke?"

"A joke?"

"Yes. What you just read in that magazinewhich seems to cause you so much excitement."

"Well, it may be a joke; and yet the professorseems very much in earnest about it," repliedTom. "It certainly is one wonderful story!"

"So you said before. Come on--the `fillium'is busted. Splice it, or else put in a new reel andon with the show. I'd like to know what's doing.What professor are you talking of?"

"Professor Swyington Bumper."

"Swyington Bumper?" and Ned's voiceshowed that his memory was a bit hazy.

"Yes. You ought to remember him. He wason the steamer when I went down to Peru tohelp the Titus Brothers dig the big tunnel. Thatplotter Waddington, or some of his tools,dropped a bomb where it might have done ussome injury, but Professor Bumper, who was afellow passenger, on his way to South Americato look for the lost city of Pelone, calmly pickedup the bomb, plucked out the fuse, and savedus from bad injuries, if not death. And he wasas cool about it as an ice-cream cone. Surelyyou remember!"

"Swyington Bumper! Oh, yes, now I rememberhim," said Ned Newton. "But what hashe got to do with a wonderful story? Has hewritten more about the lost city of Pelone? Ifhe has I don't see anything so very wonderfulin that."

"There isn't," agreed Tom. "But this isn'tthat," and Tom picked up the magazine andleafed it to find the article he had been reading.

"Let's have a look at it," suggested Ned. "Youact as though you might be vitally interestedin it. Maybe you're thinking of joining forceswith the professor again, as you did when youdug the big tunnel."

"Oh, no. I haven't any such idea," Tom said."I've got enough work laid out now to keep mein Shopton for the next year. I have no notionof going anywhere with Professor Bumper. YetI can't help being impressed by this," and,having found the article in the magazine to whichhe referred, he handed it to his chum.

"Why, it's by Bumper himself!" exclaimed Ned.

"Yes. Though there's nothing remarkable inthat, seeing that he is constantly contributingarticles to various publications or writing books.It's the story itself that's so wonderful. Tosave you the trouble of wading through a lotof scientific detail, which I know you don't careabout, I'll tell you that the story is about a queeridol of solid gold, weighing many pounds, and,in consequence, of great value."

"Of solid gold you say?" asked Ned eagerly.

"That's it. Got on your banking air already,"Tom laughed. "To sum it up for you--noticeI use the word `sum,' which is very appropriatefor a bank--the professor has got on the trackof another lost or hidden city. This one, thename of which doesn't appear, is in the Copanvalley of Honduras, and----"

"Copan," interrupted Ned. "It sounds likethe name of some new floor varnish."

"Well, it isn't, though it might be," laughedTom. "Copan is a city, in the Department ofCopan, near the boundary between Honduras andGuatemala. A fact I learned from the articleand not because I remembered my geography."

"I was going to say," remarked Ned with asmile, "that you were coming it rather strongon the school-book stuff."

"Oh, it's all plainly written down there," andTom waved toward the magazine at which Nedwas looking. "As you'll see, if you take thetrouble to go through it, as I did, Copan is, ormaybe was, for all I know, one of the mostimportant centers of the Mayan civilization."

"What's Mayan?" asked Ned. "You see I'mgoing to imbibe my information by the deductiverather than the excavative process," he addedwith a laugh.

"I see," laughed Tom. "Well, Mayan refersto the Mayas, an aboriginal people of Yucatan.The Mayas had a peculiar civilization of theirown, thousands of years ago, and their calendarsystem was so involved----"

"Never mind about dates," again interruptedNed. "Get down to brass tacks. I'm willingto take your word for it that there's a Copanvalley in Honduras. But what has your friendProfessor Bumper to do with it?"

"This. He has come across some oldmanuscripts, or ancient document records, referringto this valley, and they state, according to thisarticle he has written for the magazine, thatsomewhere in the valley is a wonderful city,traces of which have been found twenty to fortyfeet below the surface, on which great trees aregrowing, showing that the city was coveredhundreds, if not thousands, of years ago."

"But where does the idol of gold come in?"

"I'm coming to that," said Tom. "Though,if Professor Bumper has his way, the idol willbe coming out instead of coming in."

"You mean he wants to get it and take itaway from the Copan valley, Tom?"

"That's it, Ned. It has great value not onlyfrom the amount of pure gold that is in it, butas an antique. I fancy the professor is moreinterested in that aspect of it. But he's writtena wonderful story, telling how he happened tocome across the ancient manuscripts in the tombof some old Indian whose mummy he unearthedon a trip to Central America.

"Then he tells of the trouble he had indiscovering how to solve the key to the translationcode; but when he did, he found a great storyunfolded to him.

"This story has to do with the hidden city,and tells of the ancient civilization of those wholived in the Copan valley thousands of years ago.The people held this idol of gold to be theirgreatest treasure, and they put to death many ofother tribes who sought to steal it."

"Whew!" whistled Ned. "That IS some yarn.But what is Professor Bumper going to do about it?"

"I don't know. The article seems to be writtenwith an idea of interesting scientists andresearch societies, so that they will raise moneyto conduct a searching expedition.

"Perhaps by this time the party may beorganized--this magazine is several months old.I have been so busy on my stabilizer patent thatI haven't kept up with current literature. Takeit home and read it! Ned. That is if you'rethrough telling me about my affairs," for Ned,who had formerly worked in the Shopton bank,had recently been made general financial man-ager of the interests of Tom and his father. Thetwo were inventors and proverbially poor businessmen, though they had amassed a fortune.

"Your financial affairs are all right, Tom," saidNed. "I have just been going over the books,and I'll submit a detailed report later."

The telephone bell rang and Tom picked upthe instrument from the desk. As he answered inthe usual way and then listened a moment, astrange look came over his face.

"Well, this certainly is wonderful!" he exclaimed,in much the same manner as when he had finishedreading the article about the idol. "It certainlyis a strange coincidence," he added,speaking in an aside to Ned while he himselfstill listened to what was being told to himover the telephone wire.

CHAPTER II

PROFESSOR BUMPER ARRIVES

"What's the matter, Tom? What is it?"asked Ned Newton, attracted by the strangemanner of his chum at the telephone. "Hasanything happened?"

But the young inventor was too busy listeningto the unseen speaker to answer his chum,even if he heard what Ned remarked, which isdoubtful.

"Well, I might as well wait until he isthrough," mused Ned, as he started to leave theroom. Then as Tom motioned to him to remain,he murmured: "He may have somethingto say to me later. But I wonder who is talkingto him."

There was no way of finding out, however,until Tom had a chance to talk to Ned, and atpresent the young scientist was eagerly listeningto what came over the wire. Occasionally Nedcould hear him say:

"You don't tell me! That is surprising! Yes--yes! Of course if it's true it means a bigthing, I can understand that. What's that? No,I couldn't make a promise like that. I'm sorry,but----"

Then the person at the other end of the wiremust have plunged into something very interestingand absorbing, for Tom did not againinterrupt by interjected remarks.

Tom. Swift, as has been said, was an inventor,as was his father. Mr. Swift was now rather oldand feeble, taking only a nominal part in theactivities of the firm made up of himself and hisson. But his inventions were still used, manyof them being vital to the business and trade ofthis country.

Tom and his father lived in the village ofShopton, New York, and their factories coveredmany acres of ground. Those who wish to readof the earliest activities of Tom in the inventiveline are referred to the initial volume, "TomSwift and His Motor Cycle." From then on heand his father had many and exciting adventures.In a motor boat, an airship, and a submarinerespectively the young inventor had gone throughmany perils. On some of the trips his chum,Ned Newton, accompanied him, and very oftenin the party was a Mr. Wakefield Damon, whohad a curious habit of "blessing" everythingthat happened to strike his fancy.

Besides Tom and his father, the Swift householdwas made up of Eradicate Sampson, a coloredman-of-all-work, who, with his mule Boomerang,did what he could to keep the groundsaround the house in order. There was also Mrs.Baggert, the housekeeper, Tom's mother beingdead. Mr. Damon, living in a neighboring town,was a frequent visitor in the Swift home.

Mary Nestor, a girl of Shopton, might alsobe mentioned. She and Tom were more thanjust good friends. Tom had an idea that someday----. But there, I promised not to tell thatpart, at least until the young people themselveswere ready to have a certain fact announced.

From one activity to another had Tom Swiftgone, now constructing some important inventionfor himself, as among others, when he madethe photo-telephone, or developed a greatsearchlight which he presented to the Governmentfor use in detecting smugglers on theborder.

The book immediately preceding this is called"Tom Swift and His Bit, Tunnel," and dealswith the efforts of the young inventor to help afirm of contractors penetrate a mountain inPeru. How this was done and how, incidental-ly, the lost city of Pelone was discovered, bringingjoy to the heart of Professor SwyingtonBumper, will be found fully set forth in the book.

Tom had been back from the Peru trip forsome months, when we again find him interestedin some of the work of Professor Bumper,as set forth in the magazine mentioned.

"Well, he certainly is having some conversation,"reflected Ned, as, after more than fiveminutes, Tom's ear was still at the receiver ofthe instrument, into the transmitter of whichhe had said only a few words.

"All right," Tom finally answered, as he hungthe receiver up, "I'll be here," and then he turnedto Ned, whose curiosity had been growing withthe telephone talk, and remarked:

"That certainly was wonderful!"

"What was?" asked Ned. "Do you think I'ma mind reader to be able to guess?"

"No, indeed! I beg your pardon. I'll tell youat once. But I couldn't break away. It wastoo important. To whom do you think I wastalking just then?"

"I can imagine almost any one, seeing I knowsomething of what you have done. It might bealmost anybody from some person you met upin the caves of ice to a red pygmy from thewilds of Africa."

"I'm afraid neither of them would be quiteup to telephone talk yet," laughed Tom. "No,this was the gentleman who wrote that interestingarticle about the idol of gold," and hemotioned to the magazine Ned held in his hand.

"You don't mean Professor Bumper!"

"That's just whom I do mean."

"What did he want? Where did he callfrom?"

"He wants me to help organize an expeditionto go to Central America--to the Copan valley,to be exact--to look for this somewhat mythicalidol of gold. Incidentally the professor willgather in any other antiques of more or lessvalue, if he can find any, and he hopes, even if hedoesn't find the idol, to get enough historicalmaterial for half a dozen books, to say nothingof magazine articles."

"Where did he call from; did you say?"

"I didn't say. But it was a long-distance callfrom New York. The Professor stopped offthere on his way from Boston, where he has beenlecturing before some society. And now he'scoming here to see me," finished Tom.

"What! Is he going to lecture here?" criedNed. "If he is, and spouts a whole lot of thatbone-dry stuff about the ancient Mayan civilizationand their antiquities, with side lights onhow the old-time Indians used to scalp theirenemies, I'm going to the moving pictures! I'mwilling to be your financial manager, Tom Swift,but please don't ask me to be a high-brow. Iwasn't built for that."

"He's going to try to induce me to join hisexpedition to the Copan valley."

"Do you feel inclined to go?"

"No, Ned, I do not. I've got too many otherirons in the fire. I shall have to give the professora polite but firm refusal."

"Well, maybe you're right, Tom; and yet thatidol of gold--GOLD--weighing how many poundsdid you say?"

"Oh, you're thinking of its money value, Ned,old man!"

"Yes, I'd like to see what a big chunk of goldlike that would bring. It must be quite a nugget.But I'm not likely to get a glimpse of itif you don't go with the professor."

"I don't see how I can go, Ned. But comeover and meet the delightful gentleman whenhe arrives. I expect him day after to-morrow."

"I'll be here," promised Ned; and then hewent downtown to attend to some matters con-nected with his new duties, which were muchless irksome than those he had had when hehad been in the bank.

"Well, Tom, have you heard any more aboutyour friend?" asked Ned, two days later, as hecame to the Swift home with some papers needingthe signature of the young inventor and hisfather.

"You mean----?"

"Professor Bumper."

"No, I haven't heard from him since hetelephoned. But I guess he'll be here all right.He's very punctual. Did you see anything ofmy giant Koku as you came in?"

"Yes, he and Eradicate were having anargument about who should move a heavy castingfrom one of the shops. Rad wanted to do itall alone, but Koku said he was like a baby now."

"Poor Rad is getting old," said Tom with asigh. "But he has been very faithful. He andKoku never seem to get along well together."

Koku was an immense man, a veritable giant,one of two whom Tom had brought back withhim after an exciting trip to a strange land. Thegiant's strength was very useful to the younginventor.

"Now Tom, about this business of leasing tothe English Government the right to manufac-ture that new explosive of yours," began Ned,plunging into the business at hand. "I thinkif you stick out a little you can get a betterroyalty price."

"But I don't want to gouge 'em, Ned. I'msatisfied with a fair profit. The trouble withyou is you think too much of money. Now----"

At that moment a voice was heard in the hallof the house saying:

"Now, my dear lady, don't trouble yourself.I can find my way in to Tom Swift perfectly wellby myself, and while I appreciate your courtesyI do not want to trouble you."

"No, don't come, Mrs. Baggert," added anothervoice. "Bless my hat band, I think I know myway about the house by this time!"

"Mr. Damon!" ejaculated Ned.

"And Professor Bumper is with him," addedTom. "Come in!" he cried, opening the halldoor, to confront a bald-headed man who stoodpeering at our hero with bright snapping eyes,like those of some big bird spying out the landfrom afar. "Come in, Professor Bumper; andyou too, Mr. Damon!"

CHAPTER III

BLESSINGS AND ENTHUSIASM

Greetings and inquiries as to health havingbeen passed, not without numerous blessings onthe part of Mr. Damon, the little party gatheredin the library of the home of Tom Swift satdown and looked at one another.

On Professor Bumper's face there was, plainlyto be seen, a look of expectation, and it seemedto be shared by Mr. Damon, who seemed eagerto burst into enthusiastic talk. On the otherhand Tom Swift appeared a bit indifferent.

Ned himself admitted that he was franklycurious. The story of the big idol of gold hadoccupied his thoughts for many hours.

"Well, I'm glad to see you both," said Tomagain. "You got here all right, I see, ProfessorBumper. But I didn't expect you to meet andbring Mr. Damon with you."

"I met him on the train," explained the authorof the book on the lost city of Pelone, as wellas books on other antiquities. "I had noexpectation of seeing him, and we were bothsurprised when we met on the express."

"It stopped at Waterfield, Tom," explainedMr. Damon, "which it doesn't usually do, beingan aristocratic sort of train, not given even tohesitating at our humble little town. Therewere some passengers to get off, which causedthe flier to stop, I suppose. And, as I wantedto come over to see you, I got aboard."

"Glad you did," voiced Tom.

"Then I happened to see Professor Bumper afew seats ahead of me," went on Mr. Damon,"and, bless my scarfpin! he was coming to seeyou also."

"Well, I'm doubly glad," answered Tom.

"So here we are," went on Mr. Damon, "andyou've simply got to come, Tom Swift. Youmust go with us!" and Mr. Damon, in hisenthusiasm, banged his fist down on the table withsuch force that he knocked some books to the floor.

Koku, the giant, who was in the hall, openedthe door and in his imperfect English asked:

"Massa Tom done called fo' me, dat's what he done!"broke in the petulant voice of Eradicate.

"No, Rad, I don't need anything," Tom said."Though you might make a pitcher of lemonade.It's rather warm."

"Right away, Massa Tom! Right away!" criedthe old colored man, eager to be of service.

"Me help, too!" rumbled Koku, in his deepvoice. "Me punch de lemons!" and away hehurried after Eradicate, fearful lest the oldservant do all the honors.

"Same old Rad and Koku," observed Mr.Damon with a smile. "But now, Tom, whilethey're making the lemonade, let's get down tobusiness. You're going with us, of course!"

"Where?" asked Tom, more from habit thanbecause he did not know.

"Where? Why to Honduras, of course! Afterthe idol of gold! Why, bless my fountain pen,it's the most wonderful story I ever heard of!You've read Professor Bumper's article, ofcourse. He told me you had. I read it on thetrain coming over. He also told me about it,and---- Well, I'm going with him, Tom Swift.

"And think of all the adventures that maybefall us! We'll get lost in buried cities, ride downraging torrents on a raft, fall over a cliff maybeand be rescued. Why, it makes me feel quiteyoung again!" and Mr. Damon arose, to paceexcitedly up and down the room.

Up to this time Professor Bumper had saidvery little. He had sat still in his chairlistening to Mr. Damon. But now that the latter hadceased, at least for a time, Tom and Ned lookedtoward the scientist.

"I understand, Tom," he said, "that you readmy article in the magazine, about the possibilityof locating some of the lost and buried cities ofHonduras?"

"Yes, Ned and I each read it. It was quitewonderful."

"And yet there are more wonders to tell," wenton the professor. "I did not give all the detailsin that article. I will tell you some of them. Ihave brought copies of the documents with me,"and he opened a small valise and took out severalbundles tied with pink tape.

"As Mr. Damon said," he went on whilearranging his papers, "he met me on the train, andhe was so taken by the story of the idol of goldthat he agreed to accompany me to Central America."

"On one condition!" put in the eccentric man.

"What's that? You didn't make any conditionswhile we were talking," said the scientist.

"Yes, I said I'd go if Tom Swift did."

"Oh, yes. You did say that. But I don't callthat a condition, for of course Tom Swift will go.Now let me tell you something more than I couldimpart over the telephone.

"Soon after I called you up, Tom--and it wasquite a coincidence that it should have been at atime when you had just finished my magazinearticle. Soon after that, as I was saying, Iarranged to come on to Shopton. And now I'mglad we're all here together.

"But how comes it, Ned Newton, that you arenot in the bank?"

"I've left there," explained Ned.

"He's now general financial man for the SwiftCompany," Tom explained. "My father and Ifound that we could not look after the inventingand experimental end, and money matters, too,and as Ned had had considerable experience thisway we made him take over those worries," andTom laughed genially.

"No worries at all, as far as the SwiftCompany is concerned," returned Ned.

"Well, I guess you earn your salary," laughedTom. "But now, Professor Bumper, let's hearfrom you. Is there anything more about thisidol of gold that you can tell us?"

"Plenty, Tom, plenty. I could talk all day,and not get to the end of the story. But a lotof it would be scientific detail that might be toodry for you in spite of this excellent lemonade,"

Between them Koku and Eradicate had managedto make a pitcher of the beverage, thoughMrs. Baggert, the housekeeper, told Tom afterwardthat the two had a quarrel in the kitchenas to who should squeeze the lemons, the giantinsisting that he had the better right to "punch"them.

"So, not to go into too many details," went onthe professor, "I'll just give you a brief outlineof this story of the idol of gold.

"Honduras, as you of course know, is arepublic of Central America, and it gets its namefrom something that happened on the fourthvoyage of Columbus. He and his men had haddays of weary sailing and had sought in vainfor shallow water in which they might come toan anchorage. Finally they reached the pointnow known as Cape Gracias-a-Dios, and whenthey let the anchor go, and found that in a shorttime it came to rest on the floor of the ocean,some one of the sailors--perhaps Columbus himself--is said to have remarked:

"`Thank the Lord, we have left the deepwaters (honduras)' that being the Spanish wordfor unfathomable depths. So Honduras it wascalled, and has been to this day.

"It is a queer land with many traces of anancient civilization, a civilization which Ibelieve dates back farther than some in the farEast. On the sculptured stones in the Copanvalley there are characters which seem toresemble very ancient writing, but this pictographicwriting is largely untranslatable.

"Honduras, I might add, is about the size ofour state of Ohio. It is rather an elevated table-land, though there are stretches of tropicalforest, but it is not so tropical a country as manysuppose it to be. There is much gold scatteredthroughout Honduras, though of late it has notbeen found in large quantities.

"In the old days, however, before the Spaniardscame, it was plentiful, so much, so that thenatives made idols of it. And it is one of thelargest of these idols--by name Quitzel--that Iam going to seek."

"Do you know where it is?" asked Ned.

"Well, it isn't locked up in a safe deposit box,of that I'm sure," laughed the professor. "No,I don't know exactly where it is, except that itis somewhere in an ancient and buried cityknown as Kurzon. If I knew exactly whereit was there wouldn't be much fun in going afterit. And if it was known to others it would havebeen taken away long ago.

"No, we've got to hunt for the idol of goldin this land of wonders where I hope soon to be.Later on I'll show you the documents that putme on the track of this idol. Enough now toshow you an old map I found, or, rather, a copyof it, and some of the papers that tell of the idol,"and he spread out his packet of papers on thetable in front of him, his eyes shining withexcitement and pleasure. Mr. Damon, too, leanedeagerly forward.

"So, Tom Swift," went on the professor, "Icome to you for help in this matter. I wantyou to aid me in organizing an expedition to goto Honduras after the idol of gold. Will you?"

"I'll help you, of course," said Tom. "Youmay use any of my inventions you choose--myairships, my motor boats and submarines, evenmy giant cannon if you think you can take itwith you. And as for the money part, Ned willarrange that for you. But as for going with youmyself, it is out of the question. I can't. NoHonduras for me!"

CHAPTER IX

FENIMORE BEECHER

Had Tom Swift's giant cannon been dischargedsomewhere in the vicinity of his home it couldhave caused but little more astonishment toMr. Damon and Professor Bumper than did thesimple announcement of the young inventor.The professor seemed to shrink back in his chair,collapsing like an automobile tire when the airis let out. As for Mr. Damon he jumped up andcried:

"Bless my----!"

But that is as far as he got--at least just then.He did not seem to know what to bless, but helooked as though he would have liked to includemost of the universe.

"No," said Tom, slowly. "Really I can't go.I'm working on an invention of a new aeroplanestabilizer, and if I go now it will be just at atime when I am within striking distance of success.And the stabilizer is very much needed."

"If it's a question of making a profit on it,Tom," began Mr. Damon, "I can let you havesome money until----"

"Oh, no! It isn't the money!" cried Tom."Don't think that for a moment. You see theEuropean war has called for the use of a largenumber of aeroplanes, and as the pilots of themfrequently have to fight, and so can not give theirwhole attention to the machines, some form ofautomatic stabilizer is needed to prevent themturning turtle, or going off at a wrong tangent.

"So I have been working out a sort ofmodified gyroscope, and it seems to answer thepurpose. I have already received advance ordersfor a number of my devices from abroad, and asthey are destined to save lives I feel that I oughtto keep on with my work.

"I'd like to go, don't misunderstand me, butI can't go at this time. It is out of the question.If you wait a year, or maybe six months----"

"No, it is impossible to wait, Tom," declaredProfessor Bumper.

"Is it so important then to hurry?" asked Mr.Damon. "You did not mention that to me, ProfessorBumper."

"No, I did not have time. There are so many endsto my concerns. But, Tom Swift, you simply must go!"

"I can't, my dear professor, much as I should like to."

"But, Tom, think of it!" cried Mr. Damon,who was as much excited as was the little bald-headed scientist. "You never saw such an idolof gold as this. What's its name?" and helooked questioningly at the professor.

"Quitzel the idol is called," supplied ProfessorBumper. "And it is supposed to be in aburied city named Kurzon, somewhere in theSierra de Merendon range of mountains, in thevicinity of the Copan valley. Copan is a city,or maybe we'll find it only a town when we getthere, and it is not far from the borders ofGuatemala.

"Tom, if I could show you the translations Ihave made of the ancient documents, referringto this idol and the wonderful city over whichit kept guard, I'm sure you'd come with us."

"Please don't tempt me," Tom said with alaugh. "I'm only too anxious to go, and if itwasn't for the stabilizer I'd be with you in aminute. But---- Well, you'll have to get alongwithout me. Maybe I can join you later."

"What's this about the idol keeping guardover the ancient city?" asked Ned, for he wasinterested in strange stories.

"It seems," explained the professor, "that inthe early days there was a strange race of people,inhabiting Central America, with a somewhathigh civilization, only traces of which remainedwhen the Spaniards came.

"But these traces, and such hieroglyphics, or,to be more exact pictographs, as I have been ableto decipher from the old documents, tell of onecountry, or perhaps it was only a city, over whichthis great golden idol of Quitzel presided.

"There is in some of these papers a descriptionof the idol, which is not exactly a beauty,judged from modern standards. But the mainfact is that it is made of solid gold, and mayweigh anywhere from one to two tons."

"Two tons of gold!" cried New Newton. "Why,if that's the case it would be worth----" andhe fell to doing a sum in mental arithmetic.

"I am not so concerned about the monetaryvalue of the statue as I am about its antiquity,"went on Professor Bumper. "There are otherstatues in this buried city of Kurzon, and thoughthey may not be so valuable they will give mea wealth of material for my research work."

"How do you know there are other statues?"asked Mr. Damon.

"Because my documents tell me so. It wasbecause the people made other idols, in opposition,as it were, to Quitzel, that their city orcountry was destroyed. At least that is thelegend. Quitzel, so the story goes, wanted to bethe chief god, and when the image of a rival wasset up in the temple near him, he toppled overin anger, and part of the temple went with him,the whole place being buried in ruins. All theinhabitants were killed, and trace of the ancientcity was lost forever. No, I hope not forever,for I expect to find it."

"If all the people were killed, and the cityburied, how did the story of Quitzel becomeknown?" asked Mr. Damon.

"One only of the priests in the temple ofQuitzel escaped and set down part of the tale," saidthe professor. "It is his narrative, or one basedon it, that I have given you."

"And now, what I want to do, is to go andmake a search for this buried city. I have fairlygood directions as to how it may be reached.We will have little difficulty in getting toHonduras, as there are fruit steamers frequentlysailing. Of course going into the interior--to theCopan valley--is going to be harder. But anexpedition from a large college was recentlythere and succeeded, after much labor, in ex-cavating part of a buried city. Whether or notit was Kurzon I am unable to say.

"But if there was one ancient city there mustbe more. So I want to make an attempt. AndI counted on you, Tom. You have had considerableexperience in strange quarters of the earth,and you're just the one to help me. I don'tneed money, for I have interested a certainmillionaire, and my own college will put up partof the funds."

"Oh, it isn't a question of money," said Tom."It's time."

"That's just what it is with me!" exclaimedProfessor Bumper. "I haven't any time to lose.My rivals may, even now, be on their way to Honduras!"

"Your rivals!" cried Tom. "You didn't say anything about them!"

"No, I believe I didn't There were so manyother things to talk about. But there is a rivalarchaeologist who would ask nothing better thanto get ahead of me in this matter. He is youngerthan I am, and youth is a big asset nowadays."

"Pooh! You're not old!" cried Mr. Damon."You're no older than I am, and I'm still young.I'm a lot younger than some of these boys whoare afraid to tackle a trip through a tropicalwilderness," and he playfully nudged Tom in the ribs.

"There you are, Tom Swift!" cried Mr. Damon."You see you are holding back a numberof persons just because you don't want to go."

"I certainly wouldn't like to go without Tom,"said the professor slowly. "I really need hishelp. You know, Tom, we would never havefound the city of Pelone if it had not been foryou and your marvelous powder. The conditionsin the Copan valley are likely to be stillmore difficult to overcome, and I feel that I riskfailure without your young energy and yourinventive mind to aid in the work and to suggestpossible means of attaining our object. Come,Tom, reconsider, and decide to make the trip."

"Come on!" urged the professor, much as one boymight urge another to take part in a ball game."Don't let my rival get ahead of me."

"I wouldn't like to see that," Tom said slowly."Who is he--any one I know?"

"I don't believe so, Tom. He's connectedwith a large, new college that has plenty ofmoney to spend on explorations and researchwork. Beecher is his name--Fenimore Beecher."

"Beecher!" exclaimed Tom, and there wassuch a change in his manner that his friendscould not help noticing it. He jumped to hisfeet, his eyes snapping, and he looked eagerlyand anxiously at Professor Bumper.

"Did you say his name was Fenimore Beecher?"Tom asked in a tense voice.

"That's what it is--Professor Fenimore Beecher.He is really a learned young man, andthoroughly in earnest, though I do not like hismanner. But he is trying to get ahead of me,which may account for my feeling."

Tom Swift did not answer. Instead he hurriedfrom the room with a murmured apology.

"I'll be back in about five minutes," he said,as he went out.

"Well, what's up now?" asked Mr. Damon ofNed, as the young inventor departed. "Whatset him off that way?"

"The mention of Beecher's name, evidently.Though I never heard him mention such a personbefore."

"Nor did I ever hear Professor Beecher speakof Tom," said the bald-headed scientist. "Well,we'll just have to wait until----"

At that moment Tom came back into the room.

"Gentlemen," he said, "I have reconsidered myrefusal to go to the Copan valley after the idolof gold. I'm going with you!"

"I was just talking to my father about it,'the young inventor replied. "He will be ableto put the finishing touches on it. So I'll leaveit with him. As soon as I can get ready I'll go,since you say haste is necessary, Professor Bumper."

"It is, if we are to get ahead of Beecher."

"Then we'll get ahead of him!" cried Tom."I'm with you now from the start to the finish.I'll show him what I can do!" he added, whileNed and the others wondered at the suddenchange in their friend's manner.

CHAPTER V

THE LITTLE GREEN GOD

"Tom how soon can we go?" asked ProfessorBumper, as he began arranging his papers, mapsand documents ready to place them back in thevalise.

"Within a week, if you want to start thatsoon."

"The sooner the better. A week will suit me.I don't know just what Beecher's plans are, but,he may try to get on the ground first. Though,without boasting, I may say that he has not hadas much experience as I have had, thanks toyou, Tom, when you helped me find the lost cityof Pelone."

"Well, I hope we'll be as successful this time,"murmured Tom. "I don't want to see Beecherbeat you."

"I didn't know you knew him, Tom," said theprofessor.

"Oh, yes, I have met him. once," and therewas something in Tom's manner, though he triedto speak indifferently, that made Ned believethere was more behind his chum's sudden changeof determination than had yet appeared.

"He never mentioned you," went on ProfessorBumper; "yet the last time I saw him I said Iwas coming to see you, though I did not tellhim why."

"No, he wouldn't be likely to speak of me,"said Tom significantly.

"Well, if that's all settled, I guess I'll go backhome and pack up," said Mr. Damon, making amove to depart.

"There's no special rush," Tom said. "Wewon't leave for a week. I can't get ready inmuch less time than that."

"Bless my socks! I know that," ejaculated Mr.Damon. "But if I get my things packed I cango to a hotel to stay while my wife is away. Shemight take a notion to come home unexpectedly,and, though she is a dear, good soul, she doesn'taltogether approve of my going off on these wildtrips with you, Tom Swift. But if I get allpacked, and clear out, she can't find me and shecan't hold me back. She is visiting her mothernow. I can send her a wire from Kurzon afterI get there."

"I don't believe the telegraph there is work-ing," laughed Professor Bumper. "But suityourself. I must go back to New York to arrangefor the goods we'll have to take with us.In a week, Tom, we'll start."

"You must stay to dinner," Tom said. "Youcan't get a train now anyhow, and father wantsto meet you again. He's pretty well, consideringhis age. And he's much better I verilybelieve since I said I'd turn over to him the taskof finishing the stabilizer. He likes to work."

"We'll stay and take the night train back,"agreed Mr. Damon. "It will be like old times,Tom," he went on, "traveling off together intothe wilds. Central America is pretty wild, isn'tit?" he asked, as if in fear of being disappointed!on that score.

"Oh, it's wild enough to suit any one,"answered Professor Bumper.

"Well, now to settle a few details," observedTom. "Ned, what is the situation as regards thefinancial affairs of my father and myself? Nothingwill come to grief if we go away, will there?"

"Of course. It will be an ideal party--wefour. We'll have to take natives when we getto Honduras, and make up a mule pack-train forthe interior. I had some thoughts of askingyou to take an airship along, but it might frightenthe Indians, and I shall have to depend onthem for guides, as well as for porters. So itwill be an old-fashioned expedition, in a way."

Mr. Swift came in at this point to meet his oldfriends.

"The boy needs a little excitement," he said."He's been puttering over that stabilizer inventiontoo long. I can finish the model for himin a very short time."

Professor Bumper told Mr. Swift somethingabout the proposed trip, while Mr. Damon wentout with Tom and Ned to one of the shops tolook at a new model aeroplane the young inventorhad designed.

There was a merry party around the table atdinner, though now and then Ned noticed thatTom had an abstracted and preoccupied air.

"Thinking about the idol of gold?" asked Nedin a whisper to his chum, when they were aboutto leave the table.

"The idol of gold? Oh, yes! Of course! Itwill be great if we can bring that back with us."But the manner in which he said this made Nedfeel sure that Tom had had other thoughts,and that he had used a little subterfuge in hisanswer.

Ned was right, as he proved for himself a littlelater, when, Mr. Damon and the professor havinggone home, the young financial secretarytook his friend to a quiet corner and asked:

"What's the matter, Tom?"

"Matter? What do you mean?"

"I mean what made you make up your mindso quickly to go on this expedition when youheard Beecher was going?"

"Oh--er--well, you wouldn't want to see ourold friend Professor Bumper left, would you,after he had worked out the secret of the idolof gold? You wouldn't want some youngwhipper-snapper to beat him in the race, wouldyou, Ned?"

"No, of course not."

"Neither would I. That's why I changed mymind. This Beecher isn't going to get that idolif I can stop him!"

"You seem rather bitter against him."

"Bitter? Oh, not at all. I simply don't wantto see my friends disappointed."

"Then Beecher isn't a friend of yours?"

"Oh, I've met him, that is all," and Tom triedto speak indifferently.

"Humph!" mused Ned, "there's more here than I dreamed of.I'm going to get at the bottom of it."

But though Ned tried to pump Tom, he wasnot successful. The young inventor admittedknowing the youthful scientist, but that was all,Tom reiterating his determination not to let ProfessorBumper be beaten in the race for the idolof gold.

"Let me see," mused Ned, as he went homethat evening. "Tom did not change his minduntil he heard Beecher's name mentioned. Nowthis shows that Beecher had something to dowith it. The only reason Tom doesn't wantBeecher to get this idol or find the buried cityis because Professor Bumper is after it. Andyet the professor is not an old or close friendof Tom's. They met only when Tom went todig his big tunnel. There must be some otherreason."

Ned did some more thinking. Then heclapped his hands together, and a smile spreadover his face.

"I believe I have it!" he cried. "The littlegreen god as compared to the idol of gold!That's it. I'm going to make a call on my way home."

This he did, stopping at the home of MaryNestor, a pretty girl, who, rumor had it, wastacitly engaged to Tom. Mary was not at home,but Mr. Nestor was, and for Ned's purpose thisanswered.

"No, Tom isn't with me this evening," Nedanswered. "The fact is, he's getting ready togo off on another expedition, and I'm going with him."

"You young men are always going somewhere,"remarked Mrs. Nestor. "Where is it to this time?"

"Some place in Central America," Nedanswered, not wishing to be too particular. Hewas wondering how he could find out what hewanted to know, when Mary's mother unexpectedlygave him just the information he was after.

"Central America!" she exclaimed. "Why,Father," and she looked at her husband, "that'swhere Professor Beecher is going, isn't it?"

"Yes, I believe he did mention something about that."

"Professor Beecher, the man who is an author-ity on Aztec ruins?" asked Ned, taking a shot inthe dark.

"Yes," said Mr. Nestor. "And a mighty fineyoung man he is, too. I knew his father well.He was here on a visit not long ago, youngBeecher was, and he talked most entertaininglyabout his discoveries. You remember howinterested Mary was, Mother?"

"Yes, she seemed to be," said Mrs. Nestor."Tom Swift dropped in during the course ofthe evening," she added to Ned, "and Maryintroduced him to Professor Beecher. But I can'tsay that Tom was much interested in theprofessor's talk."

"No?" questioned Ned.

"No, not at all. But Tom did not stay long.He left just as Mary and the professor weredrawing a map so the professor could indicatewhere he had once made a big discovery."

"I see," murmured Ned. "Well, I supposeTom must have been thinking of something elseat the time."

"Very likely," agreed Mr. Nestor. "But Tommissed a very profitable talk. I was very muchinterested myself in what the professor told us,and so was Mary. She invited Mr. Beecher tocome again. He takes after his father in beingvery thorough in what he does.

"Sometimes I think," went on Mr. Nestor, "thatTom isn't quite steady enough. He's thinkingof so many things, perhaps, that he can't get hismind down to the commonplace. I remember heonce sent something here in a box labeled`dynamite.' Though there was no explosive in it,it gave us a great fright. But Tom is a boy, inspite of his years. Professor Beecher seemsmuch older. We all like him very much."

"That's nice," said Ned, as he took hisdeparture. He had found out what he had cometo learn.

"I knew it!" Ned exclaimed as he walkedhome. "I knew something was in the wind.The little green god of jealousy has Tom in hisclutches. That's why my inventive friend wasso anxious to go on this expedition when helearned Beecher was to go. He wants to beathim. I guess the professor has plainly shownthat he wouldn't like anything better than tocut Tom out with Mary. Whew! that's somethingto think about!"

CHAPTER VI

UNPLEASANT NEWS

Ned Newton decided to keep to himself whathe had heard at the Nestor home. Not for theworld would he let Tom Swift know of thesituation.

"That is, I won't let him know that I know,"said Ned to himself, "though he is probably aswell aware of the situation as I am. But it sureis queer that this Professor Beecher should havetaken such a fancy to Mary, and that her fathershould regard him so well. That is natural,I suppose. But I wonder how Mary herselffeels about it. That is the part Tom wouldbe most interested in.

"No wonder Tom wants to get ahead of thisyoung college chap, who probably thinks he'sthe whole show. If he can find the buried city,and get the idol of gold, it would be a bigfeather in his cap.

"He'd have no end of honors heaped on him,and I suppose his hat wouldn't come withinthree sizes of fitting him. Then he'd stand inbetter than ever with Mr. Nestor. And, maybe,with Mary, too, though I think she is loyalto Tom. But one never can tell.

"However, I'm glad I know about it. I'lldo all I can to help Tom, without letting himknow that I know. And if I can do anythingto help in finding that idol of gold for ProfessorBumper, and, incidentally, Tom, I'll do it," andhe spoke aloud in his enthusiasm.

Ned, who was walking along in the darkness,clapped his open hand down on Tom's magazinehe was carrying home to read again, andthe resultant noise was a sharp crack. As itsounded a figure jumped from behind a treeand called tensely:

"Hold on there!"

Ned stopped short, thinking he was to bethe victim of a holdup, but his fears wereallayed when he beheld one of the police force ofShopton confronting him.

"I heard what you said about gettin' the gold,"went on the officer. "I was walkin' along and Iheard you talkin'. Where's your pal?"

"Oh, pshaw! It's Ned Newton!" exclaimedthe disappointed officer. "I thought you wastalkin' to a confederate about gold, and figuredmaybe you was goin' to rob the bank."

"No, nothing like that," answered Ned, stillmuch amused. "I was talking to myself abouta trip Tom Swift and I are going to takeand----"

"Oh, that's all right," responded thepoliceman. "I can understand it, if it had anything todo with Tom. He's a great boy."

"Indeed he is," agreed Ned, making a mentalresolve not to be so public with his thoughtsin the future. He chatted for a moment withthe officer, and then, bidding him good-night,walked on to his home, his mind in a whirl withconglomerate visions of buried cities, great grinningidols of gold, and rival professors seekingto be first at the goal.

The next few days were busy ones for Tom,Ned and, in fact, the whole Swift household.Tom and his father had several consultations andconducted several experiments in regard to thenew stabilizer, the completion of which was soearnestly desired. Mr. Swift was sure he couldcarry the invention to a successful conclusion.

Ned was engaged in putting the financialaffairs of the Swift Company in shape, so theywould practically run themselves during his ab-sence. Then, too, there was the packing of theirbaggage which must be seen to.

Of course, the main details of the trip wereleft to Professor Bumper, who knew just whatto do. He had told Tom and Ned that all theyand Mr. Damon would have to do would be tomeet him at the pier in New York, where theywould find all arrangements made.

One day, near the end of the week (the beginningof the next being set for the start) Eradicatecame shuffling into the room where Tom wassorting out the possessions he desired to takewith him, Ned assisting him in the task.

"He take me!" cried Koku, and his voice wasa roar while he beat on his mighty chest with hishuge fists.

Tom, seeing that the dispute was likely to bebothersome, winked at Ned and began to speak.

"I don't believe you'd like it there, Rad--notwhere we're going. It's a bad country. Whythe mosquitoes there bite holes in you--raisebumps on you as big as eggs."

"Oh, good land!" ejaculated the old colored man."Am dat so Massa Tom?"

"It sure is. Then there's another kind of bugthat burrows under your fingernails, and if youdon't get 'em out, your fingers drop off."

"Oh, good land, Massa Tom! Am dat a fact?"

"It sure is. I don't want to see those thingshappen to you, Rad."

Slowly the old colored man shook his head.

"I don't mahse'f," he said. "I---- I guess Iwon't go."

Eradicate did not stop to ask how Tom andNed proposed to combat these two species ofinsects.

But there remained Koku to dispose of, and hestood smiling broadly as Eradicate shuffled of.

"Me no 'fraid bugs," said the giant.

"No," said Tom, with a look at Ned, for he didnot want to take the big man on the trip forvarious reasons. "No, maybe not, Koku. Yourskin is pretty tough. But I understand there aredeep pools of water in the land where we aregoing, and in them lives a fish that has a hidelike an alligator and a jaw like a shark. If youfall in it's all up with you."

"Dat true, Master Tom?" and Koku's voicetrembled.

"Well, I've never seen such a fish, I'm sure,but the natives tell about it."

Koku seemed to be considering the matter.Strange as it may seem, the giant, though afraidof nothing human and brave when it came to ahand-to-claw argument with a wild animal, hada very great fear of the water and the unseenlife within it. Even a little fresh-water crab ina brook was enough to send him shrieking toshore. So when Tom told of this curious fish,which many natives of Central America firmlybelieve in, the giant took thought with himself.Finally, he gave a sigh and said:

"Me stay home and keep bad mans out ofmaster's shop."

"Yes, I guess that's the best thing for you,"assented Tom with an air of relief. He and Nedhad talked the matter over, and they had agreedthat the presence of such a big man as Koku, inan expedition going on a more or less secret mission,would attract too much attention.

"Well, I guess that clears matters up," saidTom, as he looked over a collection of rifles andsmall arms, to decide which to take. "We won'thave them to worry about."

"No, only Professor Beecher," remarked Ned,with a sharp look at his chum.

"Oh, we'll dispose of him all right!" assertedTom boldly. "He hasn't had any experience inbusiness of this sort, and with that you andProfessor Bumper and Mr. Damon know weought to have little trouble in getting ahead ofthe young man."

"Not to speak of your own aid," added Ned.

"Oh, I'll do what I can, of course," said Tom,with an air of indifference. But Ned knew hischum would work ceaselessly to help get the idolof gold.

Tom gave no sign that there was any complicationin his affair with Mary Nestor, and ofcourse Ned did not tell anything of what he knewabout it.

That night saw the preparations of Ned andTom about completed. There were one or twomatters yet to finish on Tom's part in relationto his business, but these offered no difficulties.

The two chums were in the Swift home, talkingover the prospective trip, when Mrs. Baggert,answering a ring at the front door, announcedthat Mr. Damon was outside.

"Tell him to come in," ordered Tom.

"Bless my baggage check!" exclaimed theexcitable man, as he shook hands with Tom andNed and noted the packing evidences all about."You're ready to go to the land of wonders."

"The land of wonders?" repeated Ned.

"Yes, that's what Professor Bumper calls thepart of Honduras we're going to. And it mustbe wonderful, Tom. Think of whole cities,some of them containing idols and temples ofgold, buried thirty and forty feet under thesurface! Wonderful is hardly the name for it!"

"Yes, of course. But what is worse, he andhis party will leave New York on the samesteamer with us!"

CHAPTER VII

TOM HEARS SOMETHING

On hearing Mr. Damon's rather startlingannouncement, Tom and Ned looked at one another.There seemed to be something back ofthe simple statement--an ominous and portending"something."

"On the same steamer with us, is he?" mused Tom.

"How did you learn this?" asked Ned.

"Just got a wire from Professor Bumpertelling me. He asked me to telephone to you aboutit, as he was too busy to call up on the longdistance from New York. But instead of 'phoningI decided to come over myself."

"Glad you did," said Tom, heartily. "DidProfessor Bumper want us to do anythingspecial, now that it is certain his rival will beso close on his trail?"

"Yes, he asked me to warn you to be carefulwhat you did and said in reference to the expedition."

"Then does he fear something?" asked Ned.

"Yes, in a way. I think he is very much afraidthis young Beecher will not only be first on thesite of the underground city, but that he maybe the first to discover the idol of gold. It wouldbe a great thing for a young archaeologist likeBeecher to accomplish a mission of this sort,and beat Professor Bumper in the race."

"Do you think that's why Beecher decided togo on the same steamer we are to take?" asked Ned.

"Yes, I do," said Mr. Damon. "Though fromwhat Professor Bumper said I know he regardsProfessor Beecher as a perfectly honorable man,as well as a brilliant student. I do not believeBeecher or his party would stoop to anythingdishonorable or underhand, though they wouldnot hesitate, nor would we, to take advantage ofevery fair chance to win in the race."

"No, I suppose that's right," observed Tom;but there was a queer gleam in his eye, and hischum wondered if Tom did not have in mind theprospective race between himself and FenimoreBeecher for the regard of Mary Nestor. "We'lldo our best to win, and any one is at liberty totravel on the same steamer we are to take," addedthe young inventor, and his tone became moreincisive.

"It will be all the livelier with two expeditionsafter the same golden idol," remarked Ned.

"Yes, I think we're in for some excitement,"observed Tom grimly. But even he did notrealize all that lay before them ere they wouldreach Kurzon.

Mr. Damon, having delivered his message, andremarking that his preparations for leaving werenearly completed, went back to Waterfield, fromthere to proceed to New York in a few dayswith Tom and Ned, to meet Professor Bumper.

"Well, I guess we have everything in prettygood shape," remarked Tom to his chum a dayor so after the visit of Mr. Damon. "Everythingis packed, and as I have a few personal mattersto attend to I think I'll take the afternoon off."

"He's going to see Mary," observed Ned witha grin, as he observed Tom hop into his trimlittle roadster, which under his orders, Koku hadpolished and cleaned until it looked as thoughit had just come from the factory.

A little later the trim and speedy car drew upin front of the Nestor home, and Tom boundedup on the front porch, his heart not altogetheras light as his feet.

"No, she went on a little visit to her cousin's atFayetteville. She said something about lettingyou know she was going."

"She did drop me a card," answered Tom, and,somehow he did not feel at all cheerful. "ButI thought it wasn't until next week she wasgoing."

"That was her plan, Tom. But she changedit. Her cousin wired, asking her to advancethe date, and this Mary did. There was somethingabout a former school chum who was alsoto be at Myra's house--Myra is Mary's cousinyou know."

"Yes, I know," assented the young inventor."And so Mary is gone. How long is she goingto stay?"

"Oh, about two weeks. She wasn't quitecertain. It depends on the kind of a time she has,I suppose."

"Yes, I suppose so," agreed Tom. "Well, ifyou write before I do you might say I called,Mrs. Nestor."

"I will, Tom. And I know Mary will be sorryshe wasn't here to take a ride with you; it'ssuch a nice day," and the lady smiled as shelooked at the speedy roadster.

"Maybe--maybe you'd like to come for a spin?"asked Tom, half desperately.

"No, thank you. I'm too old to be jouncedaround in one of those small cars."

"Nonsense! She rides as easily as a Pullmansleeper."

"Well, I have to go to a Red Cross meeting,anyhow, so I can't come, Tom. Thank you,just the same."

Tom did not drive back immediately to hishome. He wanted to do a bit of thinking, andhe believed he could do it best by himself. Soit was late afternoon when he again greeted Ned,who, meanwhile, had been kept very busy.

"Well?" called Tom's chum.

"Um!" was the only answer, and Tom calledKoku to put the car away in the garage.

"Something wrong," mused Ned.

The next three days were crowded with eventsand with work. Mr. Damon came overfrequently to consult with Tom and Ned, andfinally the last of their baggage had been packed,